Red Force stumble on day of the damp pitch delay

After a damp pitch caused a lengthy delay, reducing play yesterday to only 38 overs, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force stumbled to 135-7 on the opening day of the fourth-round West Indies four-day cricket match against hosts Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park.

Left-handers Yannic Cariah and Khary Pierre, on 22 and 17, respectively, are the not out batsmen.

Denesh Ramdin, the Red Force captain, said he is hopeful that his team can recover to post a total in the region of 200 runs.

“We would have liked to have lost two wickets fewer at the end of that session there, but having said that we have Khary and Cariah — both guys are capable of batting so hopefully tomorrow we can get a partnership going and get close to 200,” Ramdin told reporters at close of play.

The Red Force captain added that the pitch behaved better after play resumed in the afternoon, but credited Powell for using the conditions well.

“I think it was good after it got time to dry out but Powell bowled a good spell, he pitched up the new ball and he got some important wickets,” he said.

“We're pleased with our performance today, though we think we could have restricted them to a smaller score at the close. We just have to stay patient as bowlers, and the fielders have to support them,” he said.

With regards to the pitch fiasco Palmer felt the umpires did right by suspending play.

“The pitch was wet and they saw it dangerous for play. In a situation like that in which there is a wet pitch the bowling team will always have the upper hand, and in a game of cricket you'd want equal opportunity for everybody so I don't see anything wrong with what the umpires did,” Palmer said.

In the morning, the Scorpions had won the toss sent the Red Force to bat first in sunny conditions on a surface with live grass.

Both openers Kyle Hope (two) and left-hander Jeremy Solozano (11) went caught to pace bowler Oshane Thomas while playing at short deliveries outside the off stump.

Hope was caught by Kenroy Williams at gully, while Solozano was picked up by Fudadin at point.

But play was soon stopped at 10:20 am with the score on 23-2 when the umpires heeded calls from the batsmen that the ball was bouncing too steeply off the pitch.

In the process a probable 52 overs were lost.

Play did not resume until 2:45 pm, during which time it was allowed to sun-dry while ground staff carried out work on it. Thereafter the light roller was used to compact it just before the resumption.

The Red Force left-hander Darren Bravo and Jason Mohammed carried the total to 57 before the partnership was broken.

Powell, bowling around the wicket to the left-handers and getting good movement off the pitch accentuated by the angle, was always threatening.

His ploy was the undoing of the highly-regarded Bravo, playing his first regional first-class match in three years and a likely inclusion in the West Indies Test squad for upcoming home series against England.

Bravo (17) pushed his front pad forward without playing a shot and was trapped leg before wicket to a ball that slanted into him from outside off stump.

Captain Denesh Ramdin (six) was beaten by an out swinger from Powell that cannoned into his off stump with the score on 64.

Without any addition to the total, the fifth wicket fell when Mohammed (17) was lured forward into a defensive prod by a flighted Miller delivery only to edge a catch to Palmer at slip.

Jamaican-born Odean Smith progressed briskly to 18 off 21 balls before he played away from his body to a short delivery from Powell, but only succeeded in getting an inside edge onto the stumps.

Imran Khan (seven) bizarrely left alone a straight ball from Miller and was bowled, but Cariah and Pierre held things together to the close.

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